White Beans with Tomatoes, Garlic, and Sage (NBR)

• 1 pound (about 2 1/2 cups) dried cannellini beans (or Great Northern or navy beans), rinsed and picked over
• 1 medium onion, unpeeled and halved through the root end
• 1 medium carrot, cut into 2-inch lengths [My carrots had gone bad]
• 1 garlic heads, top quarter cut off and loose papery skins removed
• Salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups water
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 4 medium garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves [What do you think I did?]
• Ground black pepper

This and my next blog entry involve a very similar start since they both involve white beans.  Bring beans, onion, carrot (if I had it), garlic head, salt, and bay leaves to a boil.  Partially cover and simmer until almost tender.  Then remove from heat, completely cover, and let stand for 30 to 60 minutes until completely tender.

The traditional manner for this dish in Tuscany:

"The dried beans are placed in a fiasco, the bulbous wine bottle used for Chianti, with some liquid, a sprig of sage, and a few garlic cloves, and then the bottle is sealed and nestled into the embers of the household fire to cook slowly through the night.  By the morning, the beans are plump and ready to eat."

The remaining mise en place.

The cooked beans.  Drain and reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Heat olive oil, garlic, and sage over medium heat until the garlic turns pale gold and the sage darkens.  Don't stir or the garlic will clump together.

Add tomatoes and salt.  Simmer until juices have evaporated and the tomatoes are shiny.  Whatever that means.

Stir in beans and reserved cooking liquid and simmer until the liquid has again evaporated.

Pretty decent dish for a vegetarian one.  Interesting enough.  I guess parsley would've been nice, but perhaps it always is when suggested.
Creamy even though it's vegan.